As you may know, I’ve done a lot of talking about careers and where I want to live etc. I’ve been going back and forth between different ideas, but nothing ever budged. I mean it’s okay to go back and forth but if you never take action on any ideas then you’re just going to be stuck in a rut. I somehow managed to take action and listen to my desires and be decisive in my desicion. It took sitting down my mum and brainstorming ideas for my life. I was clearly not in my element in France even though I do feel attached to my birth country. However my heart belongs to the UK. So from that realization I chose from different possible options and well it led to my final plan. So fast forward to present day and ya girl is living in England again. I listed several cities in England and just picked one that I felt drawn to. From there I did my research on the city and called places that I needed information on. I did this all alone as this was my dream to realize. After doing all my research I booked a flight at the nearest airport and accommodation. I didn’t choose the most accessible place because it took two modes of transport to arrive at the city, however I can take the train to London in just 2 hours, so it’s not too bad (the reason I chose city life was because I wanted to be somewhere that I could socialize and do lots of things in).
I took a flight to Leeds Bradford airport and then took the bus to Leeds City Centre and from there I took a train from Leeds train station to my destination. So when I arrived, I went to the tourism office (or the information centre) and asked for buses that would take me to the youth hostel I booked over the phone. Obviously as I didn’t know the place, I had to guess where the stop was based on names of the street/bus stop but it was actually the right stop, luckily. I feel like subconsciously I knew. I had to lug around a heavy suitcase that didn’t have a long handle to pull so it was kind of a trek from the train station to the hostel. Anyway, I managed to get myself settled in quite well. I shared a room with 3 other people (2 females and 1 male) but when I renewed my stay we were an all female dorm. To this day still we’re 4 girls. My stay has been very good so far, the staff are friendly and open. Overall everyone is just so nice. I’ve been very lucky in that respect. As I arrived on the Friday afternoon, I didn’t start my job search until the following Monday. I gave myself the weekend to look around the city casually and relax. I intended to find full time work (40 hrs) however one of the places I applied to were only looking for a part time employee but I handed in my CV anyway regardless. I handed in my CVs to many shops and businesses but I never got a call from any of them, except the part time shop I initially went to and two other seasonal jobs at part time contracts too. Even though it’s only been two weeks and three days (gosh nearly 3 weeks!) I doubt I would have been contacted at a later date by the other full time job employers. I think the day after or maybe even two days after I handed in my CV to the first job (I’ll call it job A) I got a call from one of the managers to have an interview with them both. I had the interview last Thursday and was later called back the same day (I think it could have been an hour or two afterwards) to say that I’d been given the position. I was initially surprised because at the beginning of the call it sounded like it was going to be a no. They were impressed with how I presented at the interview and also because I had experience in the same field a few years prior. I was positively delighted. Also, I’m given overtime so my 20 hr contact is extended to 30+. I had bagged a job in just one week (exactly 7 days). I say that’s lucky. I expected to find work in maybe at least a month or even more. I know that in the city I’m based in it’s hard for people to find work. What I take from this experience so far is that I need to believe in myself more and know how to be more outgoing and chatty with people. I also realise that happiness comes from within and your thoughts affect your life. The power of your subconscious mind is really potent. Since I made that conscious decision to move back to England and carry through my plan, something just clicked. Of course I was nervous, especially the night before my flight. But I got through it and now I’m working at a job where my colleagues are so nice and in a city that’s just so beautiful and historic. I haven’t actually talked about where I’ve gone but I’ll do that now. I chose a city out of a list of about 10 cities in the county and went with my gut instinct and picked a place that seemed to call to me. I didn’t have anywhere specific that I wanted to go so I was free to choose anywhere at all. Bear in mind that I chose to live in a place where I don’t know anyone at all, which I’ve heard some people couldn’t do because they’re either scared of change or being alone in a foreign place. Personally I think I was able to do this because of my mental clarity and a sense of adventure. I chose to move to a city in the north of England, which would have definitely surprised me if I knew I’d do this back when I was a teen. I never thought much about the north of England at all and just wasn’t clued up about that part of the country. Of course now my thoughts and opinions are different. The stereotype of northerners is that they’re open and friendly, which thus far I can confirm. I’ve chosen to live in North Yorkshire. They have beautiful parks and nature trails, their most famous national park being the Yorkshire Dales - which I went on a school trip to in primary school for a week. I absolutely love it here, there’s so much to experience and explore and I’m just at the beginning. I’m so glad that I took the plunge and made my dream a reality. Currently I’m working in retail but this is just a stepping stone for the future. I’m working to save money and have more work experience on my CV until I figure out my next step. I’m thinking about university as an avenue. But before that I’m just enjoying my independence. Alongside work I want to join a club or group in something like drama/theatre to build my confidence.
So there you have it folks, my current life situation. I bet you’re surprised at this new venture. I didn’t think I’d get to this point as I was really struggling to get a grip on my life. I followed my heart, which wanted to be back in England. I hope this inspires you to live your best life. Follow your dreams and have faith. Keep your thoughts positive and your life will change according to your thought process. The power of your subconscious mind is really powerful. Thank you for reading today’s blog post and until next time.
Charlotte x
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